Half a Century of Love and the Celebration Thereof

Ok, so it's really embarrassing how long it's been since I posted. There have been lots of thoughts twirling through my head but if I would have written everything down it would've been a virtual thought casserole. I keep up with a lot of blogs and there's really a lot of neat stuff out there. I enjoy all the clever DIY projects but I'm really not that creative. I did blog about a sonic drink holder that I converted into a.....ummmm......well something. You can read it here .

I know each blogger has a different style and mine is more along the inspiration/humor line.  I probably err on the side of not enough pictures so here's a post with pictures. Because I really do like people. Especially the people pictured in this picture post. Amazing alliteration abounding here. :)

So anyway, where was I? I was trying to get to my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary and I'm not sure how i was getting there. (for one thing I'm hearing 5 family members yelling out numbers from all areas of the living room as they try to calculate the cost of of a cabin for a few days.) Doesn't do much for me when I'm trying to concentrate, I'm tellin' ya.

So yeah, my grandparents have reached the golden year of their marriage. Amazing and wonderful and blessed are three words that come to mind. They are really special to me and all of us grandchildren because they have invested so much in us. Grandpa usually did his little grandpa thing when we'd come to visit. He'd get us to gather all the stuffed animals and then he'd position one or two on each fan blade. We all huddled underneath with eyes as big as saucers as he'd turn the fan on and watch them get slung off. (this all happened when we were young, please understand.) Grandma would let us comb out her hair and then put it back in a bun.

Grandpas are just plumb special!

So, the family got together for the weekend and we celebrated! Kens came from Arkansas and Davids came from Florida. And we keenly missed Jason and Melody and their family in the faraway Australia place. It just didn't seem complete without them.

Saturday was spent getting ready for the Sunday open house. Some of them worked on food stuff, we girls decorated and pulled displays together, the boys moved tables and chairs, and this young man:

just sat there, decorative-like being adorable and smiley. We love this newest member of the family pretty much :)

After all the work of scooping the melons out, this was documented.

A very special and key point of the decor' was this pencil sketched drawing of Grandpas done by my 16 year old cousin, Janae, from Australia. Her sister, Carolyn, has a few pictures on her blog as well. Carolyn is my cousin too, being Janae's sister and all. You really should hop over and check out her blog. This drawing is amazing and especially coming from someone with just a knack and no special training or anything.

Melanie, another cousin, put this display together with some of Grandpas' memorabilia. The blue thing you see on the right is a sample of Grandma's wedding dress 50 years ago. An interesting thing about their wedding is they had a double wedding with her sister Vernie and her husband Mahlon.

Back in the early 70's I think, my grandparents and some other families from their church sponsored a few Laotian refugees families' move to the States. The families here were responsible for them after they arrived here. They are all scattered now but we keep in contact and get together with them occasionally. Boonchahn, Chahn, Kahmpooey and Sahmpoo with a few of their children came down for the event. I'm positive that's not the way to spell their names but it's exactly how they sound so there! And they brought with them *gasp* some of their delectable cabbage rolls and sticky rice and suh-lod (salad). There are moments when I can't understand why I'm not Laotian.

America is just so boring. Other people/food groups have all the fun. If I could be who I'd want to be (food wise) this would be me: 30% Italian, 30% Mexican, 20% Laotian, 10% Chinese, 5% Liberian, 3% American, and 2% Oreos and milk.

That's how much I love oreos and milk.

So baaaaaaack to the open house....

During the open house there were speeches by the children. Jason's was recorded in Australia and played via projector, which was next best to him being there,I guess. We grandchildren sang a few songs, one being a song that grandpa wrote, and then the whole family sang our favorite "Jesus Lover of My Soul". The formal part was wrapped up with a speech by the celebrated couple themselves.

Another family member that we missed and remembered was my Uncle Jim, who, at age 23, died suddenly of a heart condition while enjoying recess with his students. His wife of 3 months, Lois moved in with grandpas for a year or so, and while there started courting Gary, one of Jim's good friends. Gary and Lois and their 7 children came for this. They  seem like part of the family. I guess when you share somebody you love, and walk the valley together after he dies, it strengthens, not weakens, family ties. I love how she calls my Grandpas mom and dad. Somehow she makes Jim seem a little more real. Because I was just a year old when he died, I have no memories of him. And yet I miss him. I wonder if he'd still be the fun of the family, the one with all the original jokes, the one who cared and loved his nephew and neices.

So yes, the open house/celebration was enjoyable and we wish for grandpas many more happy years together.

In between all the activities of the weekend, we enjoyed just relaxing at Grandpas.

My youngest uncle David and his wife Toni, with Kenneth giving a back rub.

We enjoyed lots of good food...

And just enjoyed being together. Isn't that what families are for?

Well,  tis very late and i should run off to bed. I had all this and more written before but then I closed it for a bit and lost pretty much everything. Blogger isn't exactly once saved always saved I guess.

I do want to write more. I'd like to start using writing as a discipline which will be very good for me.

I suppose to be professional I should do or host a giveway. Except I haven't anything really fun or extra to give away. Except for some socks. Those are extra, not fun. And everything fun that i possess is not extra. Which = giveaway.

I told you I was tired......

Vicki

Oh, and btw, I have had several page views from cool places like Germany and Poland and Thailand. Do let me know who you are and what you eat and I might replace my Oreos and milk percentage with some of your local cuisine.